Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Networks: Application, Design, and Computational Exploration

Polymer networks are an extensively studied class of materials, a subset of which has been developed to respond to specific stimuli. These stimuli-responses can be harnessed for enhanced or innovative functionalities, rendering stimuli-responsive polymer network materials highly desired for a myriad of applications ranging from sensing to drug delivery. This review provides a summary of recent progress in design and application of stimuli-responsive polymer network materials, including both chemically and physically cross-linked networks. Temperature, light, pH, chemical, mechanical, and more stimuli are discussed in the context of achieving desirable responses and functionalities in polymer networks. Furthermore, application areas for these materials and their various responses are also delved into with a particular focus on soft robotics and biomedical applications. In addition, computational methodologies are introduced as indispensable, complementary strategies to experimental characterization and analysis for further advancement and exploration within this domain. Techniques such as density functional theory, molecular dynamics simulations, Monte Carlo simulations, and finite element analysis are discussed. Ultimately, insights obtained from the perspectives of chemistry, stimuli, materials design, and computational methods offer a promising trajectory for the ongoing evolution and potential impact of this field.